1. Technical Field
The present invention relates to a connector such that a terminal can be fixed to a connector housing with a predetermined degree of movement freedom.
2. Description of the Related Art
An example of the prior art connectors of this type is shown in FIGS. 1A and 1B, which is disclosed in Japanese Published Unexamined Utility Model Application No. 4-22079. In this connector, a connector housing 1 is formed with a plurality of internal terminal accommodating chambers 2 and a plurality of mated terminal insertion holes 3 each communicating with each terminal chamber 2. When the terminals 4 are assembled with the connector housing 1, the terminals 4 are inserted into the terminal accommodating chambers 2 from below, and further a holder 7 formed with a plurality of lances 6 for preventing the inserted terminals 4 from being removed from the connector housing 1 is inserted into the connector housing 1 through a side hole 5 formed in the connector housing 1. Under these conditions, since the terminals 4 can be prevented from being removed from connector housing 1 by the holder 7, a connector can be assembled. In this connector 4, circular terminals (pin socket type terminals) are used. In the case of the circular terminals 4, since the terminals can be rotated to some extent within the terminal accommodating chambers 2 respectively; that is, the terminals 4 can be inserted into the connector housing 1 irrespective of the direction of the wire clamping portion of the terminal, there exists such an advantage that the assembly work of the connectors can be automatized.
Further, there exists another connector such that a play (the degree of freedom) is provided in a predetermined direction to permit an angular positional adjustment between the terminal and the housing to some extent, which is one of the methods of facilitating the automatization of the connector assembly.
In the above-mentioned connector provided with a degree of movement freedom with respect to the terminal position within the connector housing, on the other hand, there exists such a problem in that the terminal tends to be rotated or slid within the connector housing even after having been engaged with the lance of the connector housing, with the result that the contact portion of the terminal is not stable and thereby there exists a possibility of occurrence of corrosion due to minute sliding motion of the terminal at the contact portion.